Memories
by SqLib
Summary: Joan and Adam meet again after 10 years (I'm really bad at summaries)
1. Guidance

Disclaimer- I don't own Joan of Arcadia or any of characters to it affiliated.  
Memories-Chapter One  
"Please, don't call me." Even the memory of her voice, the pain in  
that single plea caused him to wince and he saw her walking away  
again, her long hair swinging as she disappeared into the foggy night,  
and the single silver tear that fell as she turned to look back at  
him. He opened his eyes and looked up at the ceiling. His hand reached  
out and he stroked the empty, undisturbed pillow to his right. "I've  
lost every woman I've ever loved." He thought, struggling to get up.  
  
"Daddy are you ready?" His seven-year-old daughter stood at the door.  
  
"Sure Jaynie, just give me a second." He smiled at her reassuringly  
and she smiled back, but he could still see traces of worry in the  
back of her eyes. "I have to get up." He groaned as he listened to  
her clunking footsteps recede down the stairs. He managed to pull  
himself out of bed, and stumbling just once or twice over the unpacked  
boxes strewn throughout the room, he reached the bathroom. He looked  
at himself in the mirror, the large sad eyes, the slightly gaunt face,  
"Pull yourself together dude." he whispered to himself. "Pull  
yourself together."  
  
The principal sifted through the papers casually, an eyebrow raised as  
she scanned over the documents. The heater's hum and the warm  
temperature created the perfect sleeping environment, and Adam and  
Jayne began to feel themselves pulled into the realms of boredom and  
sleep. BAM. The folder was shut with a thud.  
"Everything appears to be in order, we'll have Jayne meet with the  
guidance councilor and then schedule another appointment for the both  
of you later this week. Adam nodded silently. "Darlene, take Miss  
Thompson Rove to her . That'll be all. It was a pleasure meeting  
you both and I know you'll be very happy in our community." The woman  
pumped his hand twice and ushered them out of her office, shutting the  
door with a thunderous slam.  
Adam shrugged and turned towards his daughter smiling slightly, "Well,  
okay Jaynie. I guess this is it. I'll see you this afternoon. I'll be  
here at 3:30." He hugged her tightly. "Everything is going to be  
okay." He whispered in her ear and then kissing her on the forehead,  
walked out and left her with the secretary. She watched him disappear  
before following Mrs. Andrews down the corridor.  
The hallway was dark and narrow with tiny squares of light issuing  
from each great door, but the Guidance office was bright and ful.  
It was filled with flowers and pictures, postcards and poster, and  
knickknacks of every size and shape. The moment Jayne entered a sweet  
scent caught her nose, and a bright, energetic figure flashed before  
her eyes. A woman with long brown hair and a gentle smile appeared,  
she stuck out her hand, "You must be Jayne. I'm Miss Joan Girardi, but  
the kids call me Miss G. Jayne shook her hand and sat down in the seat  
shown her. Joan sat down by her, "I know this is weird, but why don't  
you tell me something about yourself?"  
"Oh Daddy, I love my new school. My teachers are really nice and well, I don't know a lot of people yet but I'm sure that will change." Jaynie looked up from setting the table and smiled bravely at her father.  
"I'm sure it will." He returned her smile. "You just got to let the other kids get to know you better."  
"I know, that's what Miss G. said too. Oh Daddy, I can't wait till you get to meet her. She's the nicest and strangest lady I've ever met. She has long hair, and wears weird clothes and her office is filled with flowers and knickknacks."  
Adam laughed. He was happy his daughter was adapting so quickly. She hadn't been so talkative since...since before it had happened. He rose from the table and grabbed the bowl of spaghetti. "Well," he thought, "at least she'll do most of the talking with the Guidance counselor tomorrow. I never did get along with guidance. "  
He looked around the tiny office, cluttered to the brink with ful objects and leaned back uncomfortably in his chair. The guidance counselor hadn't arrived yet, and after having been shown in here by the receptionist, he felt awkward and meddlesome. The room was so personal, so special; he felt like he was in someone's bedroom. He felt his daughter squeeze his hand and he looked down. Her hand, so small in his gave him so much comfort.He looked back up and the glimmer of metal caught his eye. There, on a bookshelf was a piece of art, a statue of sorts made of tangled wires and metal. He rose to get a better look and the door behind him opened. Before he could turn around, a woman with long hair rushed in and began sorting through the different stacks of papers.  
  
"I am so sorry I am so late, but my dog chased one of my neighbor's cats up a tree and I had to help her get it back down. I'm sorry, I must seem so unprofessional" Her hair, her clothes, her movements, they were so familiar. He craned his neck to try to see her face, but it was hidden from him by a curtain of hair. "Ah, there it is." She murmured to herself. "I found it." She turned around, holding a document triumphantly. "Jane..." Her smile faded into shock as he rose slowly to her feet. "Daddy, did you say something?" He looked down at his daughter in amazement. "I'm sorry honey , I, uh, was talking to ..."He pointed to the open mouthed Joan and swallowed. "To her." Joan finally found her voice. "Adam?" 


	2. Jacques

Without thinking, almost without hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him tightly. He waited a second before returning the hug, but when he did he held her just as tightly, cradling the back of her head with his hand. Jayne took in the scene with surprise. She had never seen her father hug or even touch another adult. Except for my mother, she thought. They way they held each other was so strange, silent and still and yet filled with some kind of unrestrained passion. Their eyes were closed, but she could see tears playing on their lashes, threatening to drop at any second and the contented smile that settled on their lips.

Joan was the first to open her eyes and step out of the embrace. She pushed Adam out at arms length.

"Let me get a look at you." She said with a watery smile. Adam smiled and did a silly little runway turn. "You look exactly the same, more mature, but the same."

"You're still as beautiful as I remember." He replied, his voice quiet. He looked down at his daughter; he could see the confusion in her face. "Honey, do you remember when I told you that growing up my best friends were girls. This is Jan...I mean Joan. She, your aunt Grace and I were inseparable." He looked back at Joan who nodded.

"We sure were, inseparable sub defectives."

"Sub-defectives?" Jayne asked her father grinning.

Adam nodded shamefaced, "Yup, Jane, Grace and I were the trouble makers. Well, at least Jane was. You were in guidance at least twice a week as I remember..." he teased her and she swatted at him playfully.

"I still can't believe its you. I mean Jayne Thompson Rove..."

"Yeah, her mother insisted on the double last name. Fight against the patriarchal society she always said." Joan watched a cloud settle over his eyes, sadness she recognized, but then he looked back up at her and the shadow passed. She seized the opportunity. "You have to come to dinner, both of you, and meet Jacques. You'll absolutely love him."

"Well, sure..." he replied hesitantly.

"We'd love to." Piped in his daughter. He looked at her strangely, but she smiled up at him innocently. He shrugged inwardly, _Why not I can do this_. "When?"

"How about tomorrow night? My place seven-ish?" "That'll be great." She grabbed a napkin and wrote down her address. "This is where I live. It's ..." "Right by our place." He cut in smiling. They worked their way towards the door and he hugged Jane once more, this time with a little more reserve. "I'll see you tomorrow." Jayne and Adam waved slightly as they closed the door and walked down the hallway.

* * *

"OH MY GOD!" Jayne mouthed to herself. "Oh my God, Oh my God, Oh MY GOD." She hopped up and down. _Adam Rove_...

* * *

"Jacques..." he muttered to himself. _Jacques_....

He looked down at his daughter but she just smiled. _This kid gets more mischevious by the second._


	3. Mama

"Daddy, let me fix your jacket." He bent down and let his daughter pull at his jacket. Her small hands straightened the wrinkles and creases of his jacket and he smiled as her forehead furrowed. "Daddy, shouldn't you have at least ironed your shirt?"  
  
"I did." He looked down panicked. "Why? You can't tell?" Jayne smiled evilly.  
  
"Just teasing." He hugged her quickly and stood back. She saw the worry in his face, as he wrung his hands.   
  
"Last chance. Do I look okay?" He held out his arms.  
  
"You look great. And me?" She did a little twirl.  
  
"Beautiful as usual, Jaynie." He smiled proudly. "Shall we knock?" He gestured towards the door and his daughter nodded. Together, they raised their fists and knocked.

* * *

"Coming." Came Joan's muffled voice, followed by the sound of something crashing on the floor. "Oops! Ahh...darn" Adam and Jaynie looked at each other and laughed. Joan opened the door looking flustered. "Hey you guys. Come in! I just have to-uh- do something." She gestured sheepishly at a broken lamp on the floor and Adam nodded sympathetically. She went into another room to get a broom and dustpan and Adam looked around himself.  
Her house was just like her office, bright and colorful. Everywhere pictures he recognized from high school called to him. He saw Luke, Mrs. Girardi, Mr. Girardi and Kevin smiling up at him from silver and pastel colored frames. The bookshelves were filled with books and knick-knacks, each one unique and wonderful. The apartment was a manifestation of life, of who she was. _That's strange. _He thought._ Shouldn't there be some evidence of a man in her life. Of Jacques...  
_ "I am so sorry. I am such a bad host. I should say something like: Please, make yourself at home or won't you sit down." Adam turned around.  
"Don't be silly, Jane. You're doing fine."  
"Yeah really, Miss G. You're doing really great and your house is really nice." Joan beamed. "When do I get to meet Jacques?"  
"Oh gosh!" She waved her hands frantically. "I completely forgot about him, I'll go get him."  
  
_He needs to be gotten? That's kind of weird. What kind of man needs to be gotten? What is he? A baby? His faced went pale. A baby? His Jane with a baby..._He looked out the window where the sky had darkened and lightning seemed to dance over the wet rooftops. _A baby? Whose baby?_  
  
"Adam, Jayne. I'd like you to meet Jacques."  
  
"Mama, mama." Adam turned around, his eyes wide.  
  
"Oh, my God, it's a-uh-a ..."  
  
"Parrot. A talking parrot with a full vocabulary of 7 phrases." Joan finished for him, smiling proudly at her colorful friend. She looked back at Adam. "Why what did you think he was?" She saw the look on his face. "Wait." she said, her eyes slightly panicked."You thought..." She burst out laughing.  
  
"What?" Adam demanded sheepishly as his face turned red. "It could've been."  
  
"Daddy, that's just silly. Miss G. isn't married." Joan and Adam looked at Jayne and blushed.  
  
"You're absolutely right honey." He looked at Joan and saw that she had turned away from them and her shoulders were shaking with laughter. "Absolutely right." 


End file.
